


The Christmas Star

by whywouldyou14



Category: Breaking Bad
Genre: Christmas Eve, Friendship, Gen, Humor, challenge: Blue Christmeth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-28
Updated: 2014-12-28
Packaged: 2018-03-03 23:25:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2891978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whywouldyou14/pseuds/whywouldyou14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jesse spends his first Christmas with Brock and Andrea at old Mrs. Cantillo's house. The old lady doesn't seem to approve of the  daughter's suitor, until something surprising happens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Christmas Star

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SegaBarrett](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SegaBarrett/gifts).



> The prompt was to write something sweet about Brock and Jesse. I love those two, but it's pretty dificult to write out Brock, as he almost doesn't speak in the show. I suppose the events are AU to mid-season 3, when they were still working for Gus, and Mike was alive (and I have no idea when was the Christmas time in the show, sincerely). I supposed that Mrs. Cantillo would prefer to speak Spanish, as she is of Mexican origin. I know Portugues a lot better than Spanish, so if I made some mistake with grammar, please don't be shy to tell. The Spanish is in itallic, with notes at the end. Merry Christmeth!

It’s a sunny November day, and Jesse lazily stretches his feet under the table in Andrea’s house. Brock is sitting right next to him, playing “Pokemon” in his Gameboy and watching cartoons on TV at the same time. A smell of pancakes fills the kitchen: Andrea is piling up a big stash, but doesn’t let the boys pick up any.  
“Not until I finish cooking all of them”, – she teases.  
Jesse is totally ok with that. He can wait. After all, him and Brock secretly played videogames until 2 am, and now the biggest problem is not to let his girlfriend notice it.  
“Hey kid. You know what’s, like, the coolest thing about being Brock and playing ‘Pokemon’?” – he asks, pouring himself some coffee.  
“No, what is it?” – Brock lifts his eyes from the game for a moment, only to switch his attention to the TV.  
“Since your rival’s name is Brock, either way Brock wins!”  
Brock smiles and goes back to his game. Andrea finishes cooking and puts the hot plate on the table.  
“Jesse, do you know what day it is today?” – Brock asks with his mouth full of pancakes and dirty with chocolate syrup.  
“I have no idea”, – Jesse says absent-mindedly.  
“It’s November 25th. Christmas is in one month”.  
“Yeah, so?”  
“Me and _madre_ decided that you are going to spend it with us!” – the boy announces happily.  
“Now Brock, don’t be too straightforward”, – Andrea intervenes. “You didn’t even ask Jesse if he wants to stay for three days in the grandmother’s house”.  
“But of course he wants!” – the boy says nonchalantly and continues on indulging in delicious pancakes.  
Jesse feels an uncomfortable shiver: he already met _abuela_ Cantillo, and he can tell already that she didn’t’ like him very much. It doesn’t really help that she prefers to speak Spanish, even knowing that her daughter’s suitor knows just a few words in it. He once heard her say to Andrea: “ _Sigues saliendo con este gringo? No puede ser un hombre decente, mexicano_? ”  
Jesse doesn’t really understand the phrase, but he knows that Mexicans don’t really use the word “gringo” in a good way.  
But spending the Christmas with his “instant family” – that would be like a dream come true. Besides, maybe that would show old Mrs. Cantillo that he has serious intentions towards her daughter.  
“I need to check if that’s all right at work”, – he finally pronounces.  
As could be easily predicted, Mr. White doesn’t approve of his idea.  
“Three days without cooking? Are you out of your mind, Jesse?”  
“But Mr. White, I am warning you, like, a month before that. Besides, it’s on Christmas, yo. Aren’t you going to spend it with your family, eating turkey and drinking?”  
“That’s exactly what I am planning to do. But someone needs to take care of the Christmas batch”.  
That day, they get into a huge fight, and Jesse half-intentionally, half-accidentally destroys almost 5 pounds of the product. They don’t talk for almost a week, when finally the old man condescends: “All right. Two days off. But if by any chance I will be needing you, you have to stay in touch”.  
Jesse agrees on that happily, secretly hoping that closer to Christmas Mr. White will switch off his bitch mode and forgets all about him.  
On December the 23rd, Jesse’s car stops in front of Mrs. Cantillo’s house. Brock runs to the door to knock on it. The woman opens it, cries in delight and hugs Brock very tightly.  
“ _Hola, hija_ ”, – she says in a little strict tone to Andrea.  
“ _Buen día_ ” – Jesse repeats the words that he remembers from his school Spanish classes. The woman doesn’t respond and just lets them all in.  
The whole day he can feel how she is resentful towards him. The food is delicious, for sure, but every time he takes and extra piece of meat, she looks at him as if he was a cannibal. He wants to put some salt, but he doesn’t know how to ask it. It doesn’t really help that Brock plays silly tricks on him: instead of telling him how to ask where the bathroom is, he taught him the phrase “Is it ok if I scratch my butt in this room?” The old lady is furious, but Brock and Andrea are laughing out loud.  
The TV shows some Mexican soap opera. The main heroine is crying while some cruel and evil man is shouting at her.  
“Yo, Brock, could we please ask her to switch the channel?” – he whispers to the kid.  
The boy’s eyes go wide in fear as he responds: “No way, dude. You never ever want to stand between my abuela and her novela. She will go totally ballistic!”  
And so they continue to watch the sufferings of a young Mexican woman.  
During the daytime, however, it’s really ok, as they practically don’t spend the time in the house. Brock and Jesse decorate the Christmas tree, or, to be exact, a Christmas palm in the yard with old Brock’s toys, while Andrea goes shopping with her mom for the festive dinner. Jesse sees five missed calls from Mr. White and a message “Call me immediately” on his phone. He responds with a text “Go and fuck yourself”.  
In the night Jesse discovers that abuela is even more conservative than he thought in the first place. She makes his bed in a separate room from Andrea – to be more exact, on the couch in the living room. Brock passes by in his pajama to say good night.  
“I guess your grandmother doesn’t really like me that much”, – Jesse sighs, putting his phone under the pillow.  
“Don’t worry, she is always like that”, – the boy reassures him. – “As for sleeping here, she doesn’t approve of relationships out of wedlock. I don’t really know what that means, but Mom says it’s the same reason she calls me _El Fruto del pecado_ ”, – Brock says very seriously.  
In the evening of 24th, they go to listen to the mass in a nearby church. Jesse’s family was never very religious, so it’s really hard for him to stay focused. Good thing that Brock brought two or three of his toy cars, so they keep racing each other on the church benches, to big disapproval of Andrea and her mother. Jesse sees more unreturned calls from Mr. White. “Seriously, dude. On the Christmas eve?” – he mutters to himself, leaving the calls unattended again.  
In the evening, when they are at home eating the turkey (abuela didn’t let him cut it), someone is knocking on the door. “I will get it!” – Jesse shouts before the strict lady stops him, trying to be useful at least in that.  
And then there is a surprise. “You are fucking kidding me”. – Jesse mutters.  
At the door is Mr. White, dressed as Santa Claus.  
“Who is it?” – Andrea shouts from the kitchen.  
“No one, just let me handle it.” The young man wants to close the door immediately, until someone sees Mr. White, but it’s too late, because Brock is already in the living room.  
“Is that Santa?” – he says in surprise.  
“Yes, little kid, that’s actually me”, – Mr. White says with the most serious face ever.  
“But… aren’t you supposed to come through the roof at night?” – Brock doubts.  
“I will, I will… er… later today”, – the old man says more nervously.  
“All right. And where is my present then?” – the kid asks.  
Jesse hears his partner mutter: “Oh crap”. He pauses for a moment, coughs, and then says: “I forgot it in my sleigh in another part of the city, but I will bring it to you, I swear! And right now I need to talk to my friend Jesse, to resolve some Christmas problems”.  
Brock shrugs and goes back to the kitchen. Jesse goes outside and closes the door.  
“Seriously, dude. What the fuck? Santa? That’s just pathetic. And you are stupid enough to come here without a present for the kid!”  
“You didn’t return my calls, you idiot!”  
“So that you make me work on the batch on Christmas? No fucking way!”  
“No, you imbecile! To warn you that my brother-in-law has found out that you’re not at home and planned to make an illegal search in your house first thing tomorrow morning!”  
Jesse feels embarrassed now. It’s really a weird situation, as it’s not him who is dressed in Santa’s costume.  
“How did you even find where I am?” – he says quietly after a small pause.  
“I asked Mike to make some research on your girlfriend. Turns out there is not so many Cantillos in ABQ”, – Mr. White shrugs.  
“Yo, thanks, Mr. White. I am sorry I got mad at you and all”, – the young man finally admits. “I… would have invited you in, but I think the old lady already dislikes me enough”.  
Suddenly Walt goes to his car. He returns with a small and neat flower with red leaves.  
“It’s called a Christmas star. I wanted to give it to Skyler, but turns out that her sister is allergic to it. I was planning to bring it back to the flower shop, but you can take it”.  
“Wow, thanks man!” – Jesse says, surprised by Mr. White’s sudden generosity.  
“I better get going. Don’t stay too long, go and take care of your house and make sure Hank finds nothing interesting”, – the old man says.  
“I will. Merry Christmas, Mr. White.”  
“Merry Christmas, Jesse.”  
In the house, something unusual happens. Jesse gives the old lady the flower, and she starts crying and saying something sadly in Spanish. After blowing her nose loudly, she gives Jesse a big hug.  
“What did she say?” – he asks the kid.  
Brock seems not less surprised than him. “She said that _abuelo_ gave her that flower on the first Christmas they spent together. She said that brings her the sweetest memories. She said no one could make a present more thoughtful”.  
Jesse isn’t sure if that’s acceptance, but deep down he hopes that might be a good start.

**Author's Note:**

> Madre - Mom.  
> Abuela - Grandmother.  
> Sigues saliendo con este gringo? No puede ser un hombre decente, mexicano? - You keep dating that gringo? Can't it be a decent man, a Mexican?  
> Hola, hija - Hello, daughter.  
> Buen día - Good morning.  
> Abuelo - Grandfather.  
> El Fruto del pecado - The fruit of sin.


End file.
